Selective signaling system.



.H. 0. HUGH. SELECTIVE SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR.15. 1910. RENEWED AUG. 22, 1913.

Patnted Nov. 3, 1914.

nivrrnn srarns PATENT carton.

HARRY O. RUG-H, 0F SANDWICH, ILLINOIS,

HALL SWITCH & SIGNAL GOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

MEAINE.

SELECTIVE SIGNALING SYSTEM.

22, 1913. Serial No. 786,198.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY citizen of the United States, Sandwich, in the county of O. RUGH, a residing at Dekalb and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Select1ve Signaling Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact descrip-.

tion, reference being ing drawings, fication.

My invention relates to selective signaling systems and has for an object the provision of an improved system in which a plurality of substations may be selectively controlled from a main station.

It has also for an object the improvement and simplification of a selector mechanism for use at sub-stations.

My invention is more particularly designed as an improvement over the system and apparatus disclosed in a patent granted to me January 21, 1913, No. 1,051,270, in which is shown a step-by-step element operated by a step-up relay, which element is restored to its normal position through the agency of a slow acting relay, which is sup plied with current locally.

In the present invention I utilize a step-up relay and a holding relay, both of which receive their current from a main station source, and in the embodiment herein shown both the step-up relay and the holding relay are in series relation with each other and in bridge of the line.

A magnet which is slow to pick up its armature is not desirable for use in controlling the holding pawl of a selector in a system of this kind, because it would be nec essary to use an initial long impulse in order to permit the slow acting magnet to become sufficiently tractive to bring the holding pawl into engagement with 1ts element. I have avoided this difliculty by providing. means upon the holding magnet consisting preferably of a secondary winding, which is short circuited by the armature of said magnet only when the magnet is energized, and which therefore permits said magnet to pick its armature up quickly when it is excited, so that the first impulse may be of short duration and at the same time the holding pawl be brought into engagement with the step-up element. After the magnct has once operated its secondary wind ng is bad to the accompanyforming a part of this specishort circuited and it becomes a slow acting magnet and is not responsive to release its armature on rapid impulses, but maintains it in operative position until the impulses have ceased for a predetermined length of time.

Claims covering the electro-magnetic de vice per 86 have been made in a divisional application and patented July 18, 1911, N 0. 998,552.

My invention will be described more in detail by reference to the accompanying drawing, illustrating an embodiment thereof, and in which Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a system arranged in accordance with my invention, the substation devices being shown in the position they would occupy du-rnig the time impulses are being sent; and Fig. 2 is a detail view of the holding magnet.

in. Fig. 1 is shown a main station A and a plurality of sub-stations designated as B, C and D, which stations are united by a main line consisting-of the conductors 1 and 2. At the main station is a key 3, which through the agency of a battery 4, sends impulses over the line conductors 1 and 2. At each substation is a step-by-stcp element 5, carrying a-pointer 6, which when the stepby-step element is in its proper position, engages a stationary contact 7, thereby closing a circuit through a local signal 8, which is energized by a battery 9. Either the pointers 6 or the contacts 7 are placed in difierent angular positions at the different sub-stations, so that each sub-station responds to a different number of impulses. When short impulses are being sent to call any, except the first, station. the pointers 6 at all stations nearer the main station than the one called pass their stationary contact 7, but contact is of suchshort duration that the local signal 8 is not actuated at any station except the one desired, and this one responds to a somewhat lengthened impulse.

In order to step up the element 5, the magnet 10 is used, which magnet has an armature 11, carrying a spring arm 12. A spring 13 is so connected to the armature 11 and is of such strength that the element 5 is stepped up to circuit closing position by means of the spring 13. The armature Patented Nov. 3, 191

is retracted by the magnet at each impulse on the line. This insures that the element 5 will be moved to'its circuit ClOS1Ilg .p0S1

tion with the same force at each step, regardless of the potential of the line at a given substation. The holding magnet has an actuating winding consisting of two coils 15. It has also an armature 16, as as shown in Fig. 2. 1n the preferred form the magnet 14 has its actuating coils in series with the magnet 10, both of which are in bridge of the line conductors 1 and 2. The magnet 14 carries in addition to the coils 15, two coils 17, 17, in series with each other and having one terminal attached to the armature 18 and the other terminal ending in a contact 18, so that when armature 16 is attracted it engages the contact 18 and the winding 17 is close circuited through the armature 16, thus making the magnet 1/1 slow acting. A strong retraetile spring 19 is attached to the armature 16 and tends to pull said armature away from the magnet. By this arrangement, when no impulses are sent over the line and when there is no current on the line for a given length of time, the spring 19 will withdraw the armature 16 from the contact 18 and into engagement with a stop 20, At this time an extension 21 of the armature 16 will engage the spring arm 12 to push it out of engagement with the element 5, in which position neither the spring pawl 12 nor the spring pawl 21 is in engagement with the element 5, which is thereby freed so that it is moved to its initial position against stop 22 by means of a spring ,The operation of the system is as follows:-Impulses are sent over the line by means of the key 3 and battery 1. The first impulse will cause the magnets 10 and 1st to attract their armatures 11 and 16 instantaneously. The armature 16 will be thus attracted because the winding of the magnet 14 is not yet close circuited. This throws the pawls 12 and 21 into the teeth of the element 5 and when the impulse ter minates the spring 13 operates to move the element 5 one step toward circuit closing position. lVhen the next impulse comes over the line, the pawl 12 will be operated but the element will be kept in its intermediate position by the pawl 21. The pawl 21 remains in engagement with the element 5 and prevents its return because the time interval between the impulses from the main station is not suliicient for the now slow acting magnet 14 to release its armature 16. After the required number of impulses to call any desired station has been given and the signal operated for a sufficient length of time, the key 3 at the main station is opened and after being open a certain length of time the spring 19 overcomcs the magnetic action of the magnet 14 and pulls the armature 16 away from the magnet, and pawl 21 from the element 5. The pawl 21 in its backward movement engages the pawl 12 and removes it from the teeth of the element 5, thus freeing the element 5 and allowing the spring 28 to return it to its normal position.

It will be seen from the foregoing that it is not necessary to. senda long initial impulse in order to operate the slow holding magnet, but that all of the impulses to operate the magnets may be or" equal length and of any desired frequency, provided however that the interval between them is not sutlicient to allow the magnet 14 to release its armature. The first impulse transforms the magnet 14 into a slow actingmagnet, and at the same time places its pawl 21 in engagement with the element 5.

l have herein shown and set forth one embodiment of my invention, but I do not limit myself to the special arrangement herein set forth, as my invention is capable of being transferred into many different embodiments, but

Having thus described a system which will operate in accordance with my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A selective signaling system having a central station and substations, means at the central station for transmitting electrical impulses, and a signal receiving device at each substation having a step-by-step element, a step-up pawl for said element, electro-inagnetic means to operate said pawl, a holding pawl for said element, both of said pawls being normally disengaged from said element, and slow acting electromagnetic means to control said holding pawl and said step-up pawl.

2. In a selective signaling system the combination of a main station and a plurality of sub-stations, a main line uniting said stations, a signal at each sub-station, a selector at each sub-station adapted to control the signal thereat in response to impulses on said line,.means at the main station for impressing impulses on said line, said selectors comprising a step-bystep element, a step-up pawl for said element normally out of engagement with said element, a magnet for said pawl, a holding pawl for said element normally out of engagement with said element, and a slow acting magnet adapted to control said holding pawl and said step-up pawl.

3. In a selective signaling system the combination of a main stationand a plurality of sub-stations, a main line uniting said stations, a signal at each sub-station, a selector at each sub-station adapted to control the signal thereat, comprising a step-up element, electromagnetic. means for stepping up said element to circuit-closing position, means for holding said element in intermediate positions during the stepping period, elastic-magnetic means for keeping said holding means in operative position and adapted to automatically release sai element from both of-said pawls after the signal has been operated.

. i. A selective signaling system having a central station and sub-stations, means at the central station for transmitting electrical impulses, an a signal receiving device at each sub-station havin a step-hystep element, a step-up pawl E01 said element, electro-magnetic means to operate said pawl, a holding pawl for said element,

both of said pawls being normally disengaged from said element, and slow acting electro-magnetic means to control said holding pawl and said step-up pawl, said holding pawl mechanically controlling the disengagement of said step-up pawl from said step-by-step element.

5. A step-by-step signal receiving device having a step-by-step element, a step-up pawl for said element, electromagnetic means to operate'said pawl,a holding pawl for said element, both of said pawls being normally disengaged from said element, and slow acting electromagnetic means to controllsaid holding pawl and said step-up paw 6. In a selectormechanism the combination of a step-up element, a step-up pawl therefor, a holding pawl therefor, a quick acting magnet for actuating said step-up pawl to step-up said element, and a slow acting magnet controlling the engagement and disengagement of said pawls with said element, said magnets being connected in bridge of the line. v

7. In a selector mechanism the combination of a step-up element, a step-up pawl therefor, a magnet for actuating said stepup pawl in one direction, a spring for actuating it in the opposite direction, a holding pawl for said element, a slow acting magnet for said holding pawl and controlling its engagement with said element, a spring opposing the action of said slow acting magnet and adapted to control the disengagement of said holding and step-up pawls from said element.

8. in a selector mechanism the combination of a step-up element, an actuating magnet, a pawl actuated thereby, a holding magnet, an armature for said holding magnet, said armature being arranged to positively disengage said actuating and holding pawls from said element when said magnet is deenergized.

9. In a selector mechanism the combination of a step-up element, an actuating magnet, a pawl actuated thereby, a holding magnet, an armature for said holding magnet, said armature positively mechanically controlling the disengagement of said holding and step-up pawls.-

10. A step-by-step signal receiving device having a step-by-step element, a step-up pawl from said step-by-step element.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this seventh day of March A. D.,

HARRY O. RUGH. Witnesses:

MAX W. DABEL, O. M. WERMICH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01' Yatents,

Washington, D. C. 

